[Infowarrior] - EFF Project to Uncover Government Surveillance and Privacy Invasions

[Richard Forno]

EFF Project to Uncover Government Surveillance and Privacy Invasions

Two Noted Attorneys Lead New FLAG Project in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today launched a
project to shed light on government surveillance activities. The FLAG
Project, based at EFF's new Washington, D.C. office, will use Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) requests and litigation to expose the government's
expanding use of technologies that invade Americans' privacy.

The Freedom of Information Act is a statute that compels the government to
disclose details about its activities. EFF's FOIA requests will zero in on
collection and use of information about Americans, the increasing
cooperation between the government and the private sector, and federal
agencies' development and use of new information technologies. The FLAG
Project -- for FOIA Litigation for Accountable Government -- is spearheaded
by two experienced Freedom of Information specialists: Senior Counsel David
Sobel and Staff Attorney Marcia Hofmann.

"National security and law enforcement demand some level of government
secrecy, but too much can enable abuses of power," said Sobel, who will
direct EFF's new project. "The NSA's illegal spying program and other recent
revelations show that the government has radically expanded its surveillance
of ordinary Americans, obtaining untold access to the details of our
everyday lives."

"While the government has increased its monitoring of its citizens, it's
also stepped up efforts to block public scrutiny," said Hofmann. "The public
deserves to know what the government is doing, so that it can keep abuses of
power in check and challenge violations of privacy."

In his 25-year career, Sobel has handled numerous cases seeking the
disclosure of government documents on privacy policy, including electronic
surveillance, encryption controls and airline passenger screening
initiatives. He served as co-counsel in the challenge to government secrecy
concerning post-September 11 detentions and participated in the submission
of a civil liberties amicus brief in the first-ever proceeding of the
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review. In 1994, Sobel co-founded
the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). Hofmann is the former
Director of EPIC's Open Government Project, where she was lead counsel in
several FOIA lawsuits. Documents made public though her work have been
reported by the New York Times, Washington Post, National Public Radio, Fox
News, and CNN, among others.

"EFF is thrilled to be working with David and Marcia," said EFF Executive
Director Shari Steele. "They have a peerless track record of uncovering and
widely publicizing government activities that raise significant privacy and
civil liberties issues, and they will enable EFF to have more of a
Washington, D.C. presence. We're so happy they have joined our legal team."

EFF will make significant FOIA disclosures available to the public, the
media, and policymakers. EFF will also strategically litigate FOIA lawsuits
against government agencies to develop precedents that will benefit all FOIA
requesters.

To reach the FLAG Project:
Electronic Frontier Foundation
1875 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 650
Washington, DC 20009
+1 202 797-9009

For more on the FLAG Project:
http://www.eff.org/flag/

Contacts:

David Sobel
Senior Counsel
Electronic Frontier Foundation
sobel at eff.org

Marcia Hofmann
Staff Attorney
Electronic Frontier Foundation
marcia at eff.org

Shari Steele
Executive Director
Electronic Frontier Foundation
ssteele at eff.org